Watching Chip Kelly binge on defensive players, in his initial foray into NFL free agency, has been interesting.

Kelly is an offensive-minded coach, but he was obviously offended by how the Eagles played defense last season. He should have been. The Eagles were soft and gave up big plays. Too many quarterbacks looked downright comfortable playing against them.

So instead of feasting on cheese steaks after arriving in Philly, Kelly is gobbling up defensive players. When rush linebacker Connor Barwin agreed to a contract Thursday, he became the sixth defensive free agent the Eagles had signed this week. Barwin joined nose tackle Isaac Sopoaga, cornerbacks Bradley Fletcher and Cary Williams, and safeties Patrick Chung and Kenny Phillips.

Clearly, the Eagles will have a different defensive identity in 2013. Much-hyped but disappointing corners Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie are gone. A new tone is being set.

Kelly knows that to transform the Eagles into winners again, his defense needs an overhaul. Seems like a valid approach. So many people are trying to figure out Kelly, wondering how this unorthodox but highly successful college coach will fare in the NFL. Will the Eagles' offense be as up-tempo as Kelly's offense at Oregon? Will Kelly be as daring with the offensive game plan?

Good questions for sure. But the Eagles still have to play defense. Kelly is doomed in the NFC East if he does not figure out how to slow down Eli Manning, Robert Griffin III and Tony Romo. The Eagles could not contain any of them last year. Chung said the fresh faces mean a fresh start.

"The guys that coach is going to bring in here, theyll be ready to work and learn," Chung said Thursday at his introductory press conference. "We'll be in the same room, reading the same things, reading the same book. It will be as hard as you want it to be. We have to gel together, new brothers, and just get this thing going and start working."

Chung starred at Oregon when Kelly was the offensive coordinator, and has insight into Kelly's thinking.

"He's very intense, very smart, very passionate about what he does," Chung said. "I feel (Bradley) Fletcher, and me, and the rest of the team are going to feed off of that. Hes a very good guy and a very good coach.

"It's a business, but I wanted to come here." Billy Davis is the Eagles' new defensive coordinator, and how quickly he can get the new faces to gel will be a key. The Eagles are not done adding defensive pieces. They have the fourth pick in the draft, and it would not be surprising to see them use that selection on either Alabama cornerback Dee Milliner or edge rusher Dion Jordan, who played for Kelly at Oregon.

Once the draft is over, Davis will be under pressure, just like Kelly. Defensive coordinators have flamed out in Philadelphia since the late Jim Johnson's tenure ended in 2008. Sean McDermott lasted one season. Juan Castillo did not last two seasons, and Todd Bowles fared poorly after taking over when Castillo was fired last season.

The Eagles have finally cleaned house, firing Andy Reid as head coach after 14 years, and Kelly has a different style. That doesn't guarantee that Kelly will be successful, but his way will not look the same as Reid's way.

Kelly will not say for sure what kind of defensive scheme the Eagles will play. But it appears they will play a 3-4 at least some of the time, which made Sopoaga attractive as a nose tackle and Barwin attractive as an outside linebacker.

The glitz of Kelly's team next season will be the offense, and how he utilizes playmakers like Michael Vick, LeSean McCoy, DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin. That part will be fun to watch. Win or lose, a Kelly offense is unlikely to be predictable.

For the Eagles to be taken seriously again, however, they will have to show marked improvement on defense. That's why Kelly has taken a defensive approach to free agency. After watching film of Eagles games last season, it's hard to blame him.